Are stress levels at college unmanageable?

College is a rollercoaster ride. One moment, you’re riding high on achievement and self-satisfaction and then you drop into the languishing pool of tests, essays, and responsibility. In these moments, I often find myself wishing for those high times, a potential snow day, or a miraculous cancellation of classes.

It really becomes a balancing act between social life and academics. As I go through the years, I’ve found myself discovering ways to deal with the stress. Listening to classical music while I type essays helps me distract myself from the word count. Everyday I write lists for myself so I can feel accomplished at the end of the night.

Basically, I try to stay away from procrastination as much as possible by staying ahead in my classes. I know how I deal with stress, but I was curious about how other Emory students cope, so I asked three wonderful ladies to give their opinions and advice.

Ivena St. Hilaire, Sophomore

What are some activities that help you relax?

Napping or sleeping really helps me relieve stress. Oftentimes, we don’t realize how much we neglect sleep for other activities. I live close to Lullwater Park, so I go for walks sometimes. Sometimes my thoughts are all over the place, so the walks and nature places me in a space where I can center myself and go with the flow.

I have learned that there is so much more to life than just stress. I am also a singer. Anything dealing with singing or music gets my mind off the stress. Even though I don’t get to read much outside of class, I have always enjoyed reading fiction. Lastly, I really like hanging out with people especially my closest friends.

What is your advice to your fellow Emory peers about feeling overwhelmed?

I think that everyone should clearly articulate why they are going through the stress. Once you do that the amount of stress will make sense. You should always have a purpose because the stress becomes a problem when there is no end goal. My advice is to find purpose in what you are doing.

The reward in the future will really keep your mind focused and help you navigate through the stress.

Suman Sahani, Junior

Have you ever had a moment where you were buried by stress in college?

Of course I’ve had moments when I was stressed out in college. Tons of times. What helps me to get through it is to plan out everything I need to do for the day, the week, and sometimes the month.

What helped or what did you do to get through it?

I have to tell myself to take everything in little by little. What also helps is just managing my time wisely and being conscious of every time I’m procrastinating.

Amina Dunn, Sophomore

Why do you think stress is so high in college?

I have always found stress to be a motivator, but sometimes it becomes overbearing in college.  I think this is mostly due to the fact that students are always concentrated on the future.  We are constantly thinking about our future jobs, internships, and what our peers are doing.

Because we are all focused on our next big step, while also thinking about class assignments and our social lives, we are just constantly worried.  Will I be able to balance everything and sleep?  I’m sure it is possible, but finding that balance is difficult.

Does anything or anyone make stress bearable for you?

Music has always been an outlet that is just for me.  I am almost constantly listening to music.  It helps me feel grounded and in control of my situation.

Different playlists can help me become more focused, more energetic, or help me fall asleep at night.  Plus, having my own theme music is fun!

---

All of these ladies have great points. If you allow it to, stress can take over you life.

The important thing is to put everything in perspective and find your own special way to get through it the best you can!